All agencies USA.gov U.S. Government Manual

Executive

office

USPTO

Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is the agency responsible for granting U.S. patents and registering trademarks.

This agency rolls up to Commerce Department (DOC).

0child agencies

3recorded aliases

2official source records

Agency profile

Core identity, hierarchy, and public contact details from the authoritative directory.

Official name: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
Display name: Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
Short name: USPTO
Branch: Executive
Agency type: office
Phone: 1-571-272-1000

Known names and aliases

Alternate names captured from the upstream authoritative sources.

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

Recent rules and notices

Recent Federal Register items published by this agency. Read the summary here or jump to the raw public record.

Notice

Published April 9, 2026

91 FR 17949

PCT Informed Examination Request Pilot Program

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO or Office) is implementing the PCT Informed Examination Request (PIER) Pilot Program to assess the inventory and efficiency impacts of requiring an applicant to request examination in view of applicable Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) international phase work products. The USPTO will select certain national stage patent applications for the program. In an application selected for the program, the USPTO will issue a requirement for information referencing the applicable international phase work products and requiring the applicant to indicate whether the applicant opts to: proceed with examination (with the option to place the application in better condition for examination by filing a preliminary amendment), delay examination, or expressly abandon the application in view of the international phase work products. The applicant must respond to the requirement for information to avoid abandonment of the application. The USPTO expects that requiring applicants to indicate that examination is desired upon review of international phase work products present in the application file will contribute to efforts to reduce inventory and pendency.

Official links

Direct links back to government-maintained profiles and agency contact surfaces.

Official website Contact page USA.gov profile U.S. Government Manual

Phone

1-571-272-1000

Source records

Trace each directory field back to the official federal source that published it.

USA.gov

us_government_manual

Parent listing: Department of Commerce

Hierarchy

This record sits inside a larger federal organization.

Parent agency

Commerce Department (DOC)

DOC

Notice

Published April 7, 2026

91 FR 17635

Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Law School Clinic Certification Program

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (hereafter "USPTO" or "Agency") will submit the following information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and clearance in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, on or after the date of publication of this notice. The USPTO invites comments on the information collection renewal of 0651-0081, which helps the USPTO assess the impact of its information collection requirements and minimize the reporting burden to the public. Public comments were previously requested via the Federal Register on December 22, 2025, during a 60-day comment period (90 FR 59798). This notice allows for an additional 30 days for public comments.

Comment by May 7, 2026

Read summary Open source PDF

Rule

Published March 20, 2026

91 FR 13510

Required Use by Foreign Applicants and Patent Owners of a Patent Practitioner

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO or Office) is amending the Rules of Practice in Patent Cases to require patent applicants and patent owners whose domicile is not located within the United States (U.S.) or its territories (hereinafter foreign applicants/inventors and patent owners) to be represented by a registered patent practitioner. A requirement that foreign applicants/ inventors and patent owners be represented by a registered patent practitioner will bring the U.S. in line with most other countries that require that such parties be represented by a licensed or registered person of that country. Additionally, this requirement will increase efficiency and enable the USPTO to more effectively use available mechanisms to enforce compliance by all foreign applicants/inventors and patent owners with U.S. statutory and regulatory requirements in patent matters, and enhance the USPTO's ability to respond to false certifications, misrepresentations, and fraud.

Starts July 20, 2026

CFR Title 37, Part 1

Read summary Open source PDF

Notice

Published March 18, 2026

91 FR 13015

Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Admission To Practice and Roster of Registered Patent Attorneys and Agents Admitted To Practice Before the United States Patent and Trademark Office

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (hereafter "USPTO" or "Agency"), as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, invites comments on the extension and revision of an existing information collection: 0651-0012 (Admission to Practice and Roster of Registered Patent Attorneys and Agents Admitted to Practice Before the United States Patent and Trademark Office). The purpose of this notice is to allow 60 days for public comments preceding submission of the information collection to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

Comment by May 18, 2026

Read summary Open source PDF

Notice

Published March 13, 2026

91 FR 12394

Supplemental Guidance for Examination of Design Patent Applications Related to Computer-Generated Interfaces and Icons

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has recently received feedback that previously-issued guidance may unnecessarily limit flexibility for design applicants in the field of computer-generated interfaces and icons. Upon review, the USPTO has decided to update its guidance for determining whether a design claim including a computer-generated electronic image constitutes statutory subject matter. The USPTO is issuing this updated supplemental guidance to provide design patent applicants with more flexibility in choosing how to present a new, original, and ornamental design for a computer- generated interface or icon when filing a design patent application with the USPTO.

Starts March 13, 2026

Read summary Open source PDF

Notice

Published March 13, 2026

91 FR 12405

Request for Comments on the World Intellectual Property Organization Riyadh Design Law Treaty

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) requests input from all interested parties on the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Riyadh Design Law Treaty (RDLT) adopted by WIPO Member States in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on November 22, 2024. In particular, the USPTO welcomes written comments on whether the United States should become a party to the RDLT and any impacts from doing so. The provisions of the RDLT pertain generally to formalities associated with applications for the protection of industrial designs, and more specifically to streamlining the global system for protecting designs and helping designers to more easily obtain protection for their designs--both in home markets and abroad.

Comment by June 11, 2026

Read summary Open source PDF